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Archive for the ‘Stash Reports 2009’ Category

Plans for the Turquoise (Week 52 Stash Report)

Posted in Stash Reports 2009, tagged , , , on December 27, 2009| 8 Comments »

This turquoise quilt is going to be a present for my older daughter’s 19th birthday in March.  When she was a little girl, this was her favourite colour, and several of these cotton fabrics are scraps from sundresses and shorts outfits that I made for her.   I hope it will bring her many happy memories.  🙂

I’ve been admiring this pretty 9-patch quilt at Crazy Mom Quilts blog for a while now.  I love the white sashings, so crisp and neat-looking, with her colourful 9-patch blocks.  And it’s very inspirational!

So, here is my version of that look with my turquoise blocks.  They aren’t sewed into the sashings yet — the blocks are only laid out on a small piece of white muslin to get the effect and give me an idea of how they will look.  I think it’s exactly what I want.

I will need to buy a couple of yards of snow white muslin to finish this project — but I haven’t bought any fabric yet!  I am still being good for my last Stash Report of 2009.  But when 2010 comes…well, maybe I will need a little shopping trip — or two!

My final stats for the year are:

  • Bought Year-to-Date:  24.875 yards
  • Used Year-to-Date:  149.875 yards
  • Used (net):  125 yards

Happy Quilting!

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Resisting Temptation (Week 51 Stash Report)

Posted in Stash Reports 2009, tagged , , , on December 20, 2009| 6 Comments »

I really thought I was going to buy some fabric this week.  I was even planning the fine details of my shopping trip, like — which shop, how many yards, and what colours.  But then I didn’t go.  I don’t know why.

It was very helpful that it snowed Thursday and Friday because I don’t like to drive in the snow.  But even before the weather changed, I was reconsidering my plans.

I think that these stash reports have done me a world of good.  Now I am thinking carefully about my purchases, and the idea of just buying fabric for the fun of it has lost its appeal for me.   When I really, truly need something to finish a project…I’ll go shopping then.

I haven’t been sewing this week, either, so no change in my stats:

  • Bought Year-to-Date:  24.875 yards
  • Used Year-to-Date:  149.875 yards
  • Used (net):  125 yards

Please visit Judy’s blog, Patchwork Times, to see how other quilters are doing with stash busting this week.

Happy Quilting!

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Pillowcases for Christmas (Week 50 Stash Report)

Posted in Sewing, Stash Reports 2009, tagged , , , , , , on December 13, 2009| 5 Comments »

This week I’ve been sewing 18 pillowcases for Christmas gifts for family members — everyone is getting two pillowcases each because I had lots of fabric!

I used two of my all-time favourite fabrics, which I have been saving for a “worthy purpose” like this.    🙂

Ribbons…

and Cute Chairs…

I’m not sure where I bought these fabrics, but they came with me from America when I moved to England in 1997!  Vintage, I call that.   😉

Here are my two favourite pillowcase patterns:

1.  Mary Johnson’s great pattern with a step-by-step tutorial, which has all enclosed seams and is very good when you have larger pieces of fabric;  and

2. Mary Lou Weidman’s pattern at the Benartex website, Bee Happy Pillowcases, which works well with smaller pieces of fabric and looks fine with overcast or serged seams.

Here’s my stash report for Week 50:

Bought this week:  0
Used this week:  20.25
Bought Year-to-Date:  24.875
Used Year-to-Date:  149.875
Net Used: 125

Is this naughty?  I’m thinking that since I’ve reached my goal and exceeded it a little bit, I could even buy some new fabric before the end of the year without getting myself in too much trouble.  My stash of neutrals and backgrounds could use a boost.

To see how others are progressing with Stashbusting this week, please visit Judy’s blog.

Happy Quilting!

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Empty Spools (Week 49 Stash Report)

Posted in Stash Reports 2009, tagged , , , on December 6, 2009| 9 Comments »

It’s too bad we don’t count thread usage in our Stash Report.  Look how many spools I emptied from my thread stash while making all those cloth shopping bags!

Our PTA Christmas Fair was great!  I set some of the bags out on a long table and displayed others on a coat rack.  They looked really cute hanging up and attracted a lot of attention.  I sold almost all of my bags, and the fastest sellers were the ones made with very bright fabrics and cute dog and cat prints.  This was a very good fund-raising activity!

Stash Report for Week 49 (6 Dec 2009)

Bought this week:  0
Used this week:  9.125 (for bags)
Bought Year-to-Date:  24.875
Used Year-to-Date:  129.625
Net Used: 104.75

And now I’ve met my goal of using 100 yards (net) of fabric this year!    Thank goodness for the bags project.   That has helped a lot!

Please visit Judy’s blog if you would like to see how other quilters are doing with stashbusting this week.

Happy Quilting!

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More Shopping Bags (Stash Report Week 48)

Posted in Sewing, Stash Reports 2009, tagged , , , , , , , on November 29, 2009| 6 Comments »

This week I have been sewing more shopping bags for the Christmas fair at my daughter’s school.

This is a great stash-busting project!  I am only using new fabric from my stash, and I’m absolutely flying through the yardage!  What fun!  And I have discovered that my “what was I thinking when I bought that” fabrics are making the very cutest bags!  🙂

I’ve been trying out some different patterns for variety, but my favourite for “quick and easy” sewing is this free pattern from Morsbags.  Tipnut blog also has a list of 35 free bag patterns.

Stash Report for Week 48

Bought this week:  0
Used this week:  28.125
Bought Year-to-Date:  24.875
Used Year-to-Date:  120.5
Net Used:  95.625

Please visit Judy’s blog to see how others are getting along with their stash busting this week.

Happy Quilting!

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Hoffman Challenge from the past (Week 47 Stash Report)

Posted in Stash Reports 2009, tagged , , , , on November 22, 2009| 12 Comments »

I didn’t buy any fabric from the shops this week, but I have been shopping in my stash.

This is my favourite-ever fabric, and my very first “expensive” quilt fabric.  It’s “Kaleidoscope,” the Hoffman Challenge fabric from 1997.  The Hoffman company still has the information on their website.

I’ve been collecting companion fabrics for years, just waiting for “the moment.”

My #1 Goal for 2010 is to make a quilt using this fabric.  I’ve always been afraid to cut it.  What if my “most gorgeous” fabric ended up in an awful quilt?  Well, I think my self-confidence has grown enough now to try it.  The moment has come.  🙂

My Stash Report totals are the same — I’m in the Positive column, with 67.5 yards used.

Please visit Judy Laquidara’s blog to see other quilters’ Stash Reports this week.

Happy Sewing!

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Restoration Project (Week 46 Stash Report)

Posted in Sewing machines, Stash Reports 2009, tagged , , , , , on November 15, 2009| 3 Comments »

I didn’t buy any fabric this week, but I did buy another vintage Singer sewing machine.  This one is a Model 27K, one of a group of 100,000 manufactured between January and June 1908, at the Kilbowie Factory in Clydebank, Scotland.

Singer 27K

She used to be either a treadle or a hand-crank, but she’s been converted to electricity with a little white motor on the back.  The electrics look a bit dodgy and the cord is frayed, so that will have to go.

At the moment, the machine is sitting in a treadle table, but the cast iron treadle mechanism has been removed which causes the table to be rickety and unstable.  I don’t think this was her original table, anyway — she doesn’t fit exactly right.  The top opening is much too wide for her base, and on the interior of the cabinet, several notches and slots have been sawed into the wood to fit her shape when she is folded down.

Luckily, her shuttle and several bobbins were included, along with a complete assortment of feet and attachments.  She also has her original instruction book and both slide plates.

So!  This is will be a wonderful project for an amateur sewing machine restorer like me.  First I’ll clean her up and then think about how to proceed from there.  Someday she will be a thing of beauty again, and we will make quilts together.  🙂

My Stash Report totals this week are unchanged.  Next week I need to get busy sewing if I’m going to make that 100 yard goal!

  • Bought this week: 0
  • Used this week:  0
  • Bought Year-to-Date:  24.875
  • Used Year-to-Date:  92.375
  • Net Used:  67.5 yards

Happy Sewing!

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